With drought plaguing much of the West, producers may have to adjust their management and use creative thinking to maintain production in spring- and fall-calving herds.

Corn prices have a big impact on supplemental feed costs. It’s typically difficult to find alternative ingredients which offer as much energy as corn does at a cheaper price.

As calving season runs for many spring-calving herds across the U.S., keep in mind that a successful breeding season starts with nutritional management decisions made months ahead of bull turnout.

Feed efficiency is highly heritable and can be measured with residual feed intake (RFI). Dr. Randall Raymond, director of research and veterinary services at Simplot Livestock, says most breeders want to make cattle more efficient using less inputs.

I think we can all agree that an open first-calf heifer is a costly “uh-oh” for our bottom line. Getting that heifer to calve the first time by her second birthday can be tough and expensive. After that, it would seem the hard work is done, but not so fast.